Lock for axle-nuts.



' Patented Feb- 20, |900.

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WILLIAM C. BRIGHAM, OF IIAIVLEYVILLE, CONNECTICUT.

LOCK FOR AXLE-NUTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 643,939, datedFebruary 20, 1900. Application iiled'December 12, 1899. Serial No.740,034. (No model.)

T0 a/ZZ whom t may conern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. BEIGIIAM, a' citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at IIaW- leyville,county of Fairfield, State ofConnecticut, have invented a new and useful Lock for Axle-Nuts, of whichthe following is a speciiicaticn.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple and inexpensivedevice for holding the axle-nuts of wagons in place and preventing theirbeing turned off under any of the conditions of use, ordinary orextraordinary, and which shall be so constructed as to permit of theconvenient removal of the nut when it is the wish of the operator andwithout' the use of a wrench or any tools whatever. With this end inview I have devised the novel construction which I will now describe,referring to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, and using reference characters to designate the severalparts.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, the nut being in section, illustrating theapplication of my invention to the axle of a Wagon, the lockingplate andoperating-lever being shown in the normal or locking position; Fig. 2, alongitudinal section corresponding therewith, the locking plate andoperating -lever being shown in the unlocking position; Fig. 3, aninverted plan view corresponding with Fig. 1, the operating-lever beingpartly broken away; Fig. 4, an end view of the axle with the nut inplace, the looking-plate being removed; and Fig. 5 is a face view of thelock' ing-nut detached.

A denotes the wood portion, and B the iron portion, of a wagon-axle; C,the clip by which said parts are held together; D, the spindle, threadedat its outer end, and E the nut, which may be and preferably is madecylindrical in cross-section. The nut is in practice made to turn quiteloosely, so that it may be readily turned off by hand,'but is lockedsecurely in place by the engagement therewith and with the axle ofalocking-plate F. This locking-plate is provided on its inner face withpins 10, which are adapted to engage holes 11 in the nut, and with a lug12, which is adapted to engage a groove 13 in the end of the spindle,and recesses 14 in the nut, which are adapted to register with thegroove in the spindle, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

15 denotes a longitudinal opening which extends through the spindle andinto the iron portion of the axle and runs out on the uuder side of theaxle, as at 16.

17 denotes a rod lying in opening 15,Whicl1` is provided at its outerend with a hook 18, adapted to engage a hole in' lug 12, so as tosecurely retain the locking-plate in the locking position, but permitits convenient removal from the hook in the unlocking posigroove 13,being provided in the end of the spindle to receive the hook in thelockingposition.

G denotes the operating-lever, at the inner end of which is a roundedgrooved head 20. This rounded head is eccentrically pivoted to abifurcated spring-arm 21, the base of which is rigidly bolted to theaxle, the operatinglever in the unlocking position, as in Fig. 2, lyingbetween the two branches of the springarm. The pivotal point of head 2Oto the spring-arm is indicated by 22 and is at one side of said head.

23 denotes a iiexible connection which is attached to head 20, as at 24,and the other end of which is connected to rod 17, as at 25. Thisflexible connection may be made of any suitable material, but I haveindicated in the drawings a flexible connection consisting of a strip ofspring metal.

The operation will be readily understood from the drawings. In thelocking position, as in Fig. l, the operating-lever is turned forward,pivotal point 22 being upward. In this position of the parts thelocking-plate is drawn inward, its face being in engagement with theouter face of the nut, pins 10 being in engagement with holes 11 and lug12 in engagement with groove 13 and recesses 14, the spring-arm actingto retain the parts firmly in this position and prevent any looseness orrattling. To remove the nut, the operator first turns theoperating-lever backwardthat is, changes it from the position shown inFig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2. In the former position it willbe noted that the point of attachment of the flexible connection to therounded head, which I have indicated by 24, is downward, so that theouter end of the face of the rounded head. In the second tion, as inFig. 2, a recess 19, transverse to IOO the iiexible connection is drawnoutward over position the pivotal point of the operatinglever to thespring-arm and the point of attachment of the ilexible connection to therounded head are reversed, so that it the flexible connection ismetallic the lockingplate will be forced outward away from the nut, asis clearly shown in Fig. 2, or if the fiexible connection is notmetallic the locking-plate will be left loose, so that it may be readilymoved outward by the hand of the operator, there being nothing to retainit in the locking position. In this position of the parts, the pinsbeing ont of engagement with holes 1l and the lug out of engagement withthe groove and recesses, the locking-plate may be readily removed fromhook 18, after which the nut may be turned off from the spindle, as inremoving a wheel or for any purpose whatever. Should it happen that fromany cause whatever the nut is set upon the thread of the spindle, theoperator would move the locking-plate outward far enough to disengagethe lug from the groove and recesses, but leaving the pins in engagementwith holes 1l, when leverage might be applied in any suitable manner tothe locking plate or pins to start the nut, it being understood, asalready stated, that it is intended that the nut shall turn freely,except when locked, and that should it become set no great amount ofpower would be required to start it. In restoring the parts to theirnormal position, having replaced the nut on the spindle and engaged thelug on the locking-plate with the hook,the operator turns theoperating-lever t0 the locking position again-that is, changes it fromthe position shown in Fig. 2 back to the position shown in Fig. l-itbeing simply necessary to turn the nut to such a position that the pinswill register with and enter holes 11 as the locking-plate is drawninward.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, I claiml. The combination with thespindle ot' an axle having a transverse groove in its end, of a nutengaging the spindle and having recesses adapted to register with thegroove, a locking-plate having on its inner face a lug adapted to engagesaid groove and recesses, and means for retaining said locking-plate inthe locking position so that the nut cannot be turned off.

2. The combination with the spindle of an axle having a groove in itsend, of a nut engaging the end of the spindle and having recessesadapted to register with the groove, and holes ll, a locking-platehaving on its face a lug adapted to engage the groove and recesses, andpins adapted to engage holes l1, and means for retaining said partsinengagement.

3. The combination with the spindle of an axle having a longitudinalopening and a groove in its end, of a nut engaging the end of thespindle and having recesses adapted to register with the groove, alocking-plate having a lug adapted to engage said groove and recesses, arod lying in the longitudinal opening to the outer end of which thelocking-plate is detachably secured, and an operating-lever andconnections by which the rod is moved longitudinally to lock or releasethe locking-plate.

4. The combination with an axle and spindie, said spindle having agroove in its end and a longitudinal opening extending from said grooveto an opening in the under side of the axle, of a nut engaging the endof the spindle and having recesses adapted to register with the groove,a locking-plate having a lug adapted to engage said groove and recesses,a rod lying in the longitudinal opening and connected to the lockingplate, an operatinglever having a rounded head, a spring-arm on theunder side of the axle to which said head is eccentrically pivoted and aflexible connection one end of which is attached to the rod and theother to the rounded head opposite to its pivotal point so that movementof the operating-lever will either release the locking-plate or draw theflexible connection over the rounded head and thereby place the lug inengagement with the groove and recesses and lock the nut againstbackward movement.

5. In a device of the character described the combination with an axleand spindle having a longitudinal opening, a locking-lever having arounded grooved head and a spring-arm to which said head iseccentrically pivoted, of a nut, a locking-plate adapted to engage thespindle and nut to prevent the latter from turning, and a connectionintermediate the locking-plate and the rounded head whereby thelocking-plate is retained in the locking position or is released.

6. In a device of the character described the combination with an axleand a spindle having a longitudinal opening, a locking-lever andaspring-arm to which it is pivoted, of a nut, a locking-plate adapted toengage the spindle and nut, and a connection intermediate thelocking-plate and the operating-lever.

7. The combination With the spindle of an axle having a longitudinalopening and a groove in its end, a nut having holes 1l and recesses 14,and a locking-plate having a lug which engages the groove and recesses,and pins which engage the holes, of a rod lying in the longitudinalopening and connected to the lug, an operating-lever, a spring-arm towhich it is eccentrically pivoted and a flexible connection between theoperating-lever and the rod.

In testimony whereof I alIiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VILLIAM C. BRIGIIAM.

IVitnesses:

A. M. Woosrna, S. W. ATHERTON.

IOO

